REAL JOY GUARANTEED!

                Returning to the States after being in the 3^rd world always involves some culture shock.  My very sudden decision to return home meant some major cultural whip-lash.  I quickly went from termite-eating season to the American Christmas season. 

                Zambians celebrate Christmas too, of course.  Christmas day generally involves a family/village community joining together for special long church services worshiping the newborn King.  This will follow with a big feast of nshima and meat if it is available.  I was looking forward to sharing in these traditions and celebrations with some of my Zambian friends, but knew it wouldn’t feel at all like Christmas.

                American Christmas is filled with cultural tradition.  It’s just not Christmas if there’s not an obscenely decorated pine-tree in your living room, ham on the dinner table, and decorated gifts overflowing from every nook and cranny.

I tried explaining what a Christmas tree was to my Zambian friends… I think their reaction to this tradition was pretty similar to my reaction to them telling me about catching, frying, and eating termites.  Why on earth anyone would put a tree inside their house and put lights and other decoration on it is beyond their imagination.

Though I’m glad that I get to do my fair share of Christmas-tree decorating, gift-giving and receiving, and cookie-decorating we need to humbly admit that most of these traditions have absolutely nothing to do with Christmas. 

One of the biggest cultural whip-lash moments I had upon returning home happened in Sears.  This is what I saw: 

"Real joy guaranteed"

I had to laugh out loud.  REAL JOY GUARANTEED!?  That just sums up the empty promises of our American Consumerist Christmas traditions doesn’t it?  Buy all this STUFF and give all this STUFF and you’ll find REAL JOY.  I decided that if I buy a washing machine, and bring it back declaring that I didn’t get my guaranteed REAL JOY that it is my American right to demand and receive my money back. And of course keep the washing machine. 

I don’t want to be that person laying on guilt about “Jesus is the reason for the season.”  Sure it’s true, but how many of us can actually claim to not indulge in some of these American traditions?  In my mind, it’s not really anything to be ashamed of.  It is our culture.  It only becomes a problem when we start believing the lie that these American traditions are what deliver “REAL JOY.”

This Christmas I hope you thoroughly indulge in American Christmas traditions.  Spend way too much money on gifts for everyone you love.  Make lots of Christmas cookies and eat lots of them too.  Watch all the good Christmas movie classics and all the terrible new ones.  Sing songs about Santa and his reindeer, and leave cookies, milk and carrots out for them on Christmas Eve.  Deck the halls till you can’t recognize that they’re halls anymore.  Go all out.  But please, don’t get your expectations up.  Yes, I guarantee you’re going to have a lot of fun (and so am I!).  I guarantee that you’re going to make memories and enjoy being with your family.  I guarantee you’re going to eat too much, spend too much, and get too much.  But I also guarantee that these cultural traditions will not give you REAL JOY.

How do I know this?  Well my Zambian friends don’t have any of these things.  They don’t have gifts to give or trees to decorate or cookies to eat let alone ovens to bake cookies in.  But they’re still going to experience REAL JOY on Christmas through worshipping our Savior. 

Christmas is on Sunday this year.  Meaning we get twice the opportunity (Christmas Eve and Christmas day) to worship and celebrate the birth of our savior, our Lord. The One who came to give us life, and life to the full.  I hope you take the opportunity to worship him with your church community. Twice. (At the very least, go to support your pastor who is preaching at least two times within 12 hours on Christmas!)  I hope in the midst of enjoying and indulging in American traditions, you turn your heart towards the One who blessed you with it all.  I hope this year you give the Lord the opportunity to grab your heart with the truth and mystery of how the creator of heaven and earth came to live amongst his creation in order to bring us forgiveness, freedom, and life.   REAL JOY GUARANTEED.  J

This is the awesome Christmas tree I made in my apartment before leaving.  Yes, that is a lamp. :)